| ID | 093820 |
| Title Proper | Constraining Coercion? legitimacy and Its role in U.S. trade policy, 1975-2000 |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Pelc, Krzysztof J |
| Publication | 2010. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The role of legitimacy in international relations is a topic of much debate, yet there is little understanding of the mechanism behind it. Here I address this discrepancy by asking: are state threats perceived as (il)legitimate more or less likely to be successful? By operationalizing illegitimacy as unilateral action in the presence of a multilateral option, I consider the variation in the success of U.S. trade measures from 1975 to 2000. As I show, the (il)legitimacy of threats modifies the nature of the signal sent by concessions to those threats, and this effect can be measured and predicted. I find that, controlling for material pressure, perceived illegitimacy of U.S. trade threats decreases the likelihood of a target conceding by over 34 percent. Moreover, it pays to resist: targets that resist illegitimate unilateral measures from the United States are 25 percent less likely to encounter similar unilateral measures over the following five years. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Organization Vol. 64, No. 1; Winter 2010: p.65-96 |
| Journal Source | International Organization Vol. 64, No. 1; Winter 2010: p.65-96 |
| Key Words | International Relations ; U S Trade Policy - 1975-2000 ; United States ; Threats |